I (astonishingly) agree with Jocose. But the first choice is not sex, it's lordship. At some point we broken, sinful humans must repent, believe, and give up lordship over ourselves, including our desires.

I think that's one of my biggest spiritual issues and I also believe it to be the church's as well. We often say Jesus is our Lord and savior but we treat him more as our fjord and savior. We want the inflow of living water. We want the blessings. We want to be saved (we know we desperately NEED to be saved!). But we also want to retain lordship over our own lives. It's like we say, "Thanks for that salvation, Jesus. See you next Easter!"

Christ is Lord. That means He's in charge.

I applaud Jocose. I know it can't have been easy (or is easy, or will be easy) to give up lordship of that part of his life. I'm sure he's failed miserably along the way too. But Christ is still Lord.

Of course, sexual activity is a personal choice. Otherwise, people would not be able to live out promises of fidelity to one spouse.... or vows of celibacy.

What is the alternative proposition? That human persons are compelled to sexual activity by some sort of animal compulsion?

"Utter frogshit from start to finish." - Onyx

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." - Eph 4

What if I told you sex doew not exist in a vacuum and that choices are not infinite?

If you said that to me, I would have to ask you to explain the non sequiturs.

Yes, we have relationships. And yes, we have limits.

But, um.... what do these have to do with your unspecified premise?

"Utter frogshit from start to finish." - Onyx

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." - Eph 4

jruegg wrote:I (astonishingly) agree with Jocose. But the first choice is not sex, it's lordship. At some point we broken, sinful humans must repent, believe, and give up lordship over ourselves, including our desires.

I think that's one of my biggest spiritual issues and I also believe it to be the church's as well. We often say Jesus is our Lord and savior but we treat him more as our fjord and savior. We want the inflow of living water. We want the blessings. We want to be saved (we know we desperately NEED to be saved!). But we also want to retain lordship over our own lives. It's like we say, "Thanks for that salvation, Jesus. See you next Easter!"

Christ is Lord. That means He's in charge.

I applaud Jocose. I know it can't have been easy (or is easy, or will be easy) to give up lordship of that part of his life. I'm sure he's failed miserably along the way too. But Christ is still Lord.

well said, Ruegg

"Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a cob with a forever lucite stem." (Pipverbs 1:1)
"No more signatures that quote other CPS members." - Thunk

What if I told you sex doew not exist in a vacuum and that choices are not infinite?

If you said that to me, I would have to ask you to explain the non sequiturs.

Yes, we have relationships. And yes, we have limits.

But, um.... what do these have to do with your unspecified premise?

Jeezus, you're impossible to talk with whenever matters of sex are brought up. For starters I made a light hearted statement that no one was supposed to overthink, but you did. Why am I surprised? And why you jumped to believing I made a non sequitur is beyond me. Why didn't you instead simply ask for my premise if you thought I might have been the least bit serious? Jump to conclusions as usual you did. What little I said should have been found pretty agreeable by everyone here. That sex isn't just an act in itself, that it has consequences and that there are a set number of consequences and choices. So what non sequiturs will you assume about my post now? I shall wait and see.

It’s almost believable, but I love it most of the time whether it’s true or not.

Thunktank wrote:So what non sequiturs will you assume about my post now? I shall wait and see.

I'm in a hole already. Best just to stop digging.
=========================================

As to Jocose and the OP:

It used to be a lot easier. My wife and I both had bachelor uncles and spinster aunts on both sides of our parent's families. Our culture respected such people. We did not think them to be weird, or deprived, or desperate.

No one thought they were unnatural in their choice to live chastely.

"Utter frogshit from start to finish." - Onyx

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." - Eph 4

Thunktank wrote:So what non sequiturs will you assume about my post now? I shall wait and see.

I'm in a hole already. Best just to stop digging.
=========================================

As to Jocose and the OP:

It used to be a lot easier. My wife and I both had bachelor uncles and spinster aunts on both sides of our parent's families. Our culture respected such people. We did not think them to be weird, or deprived, or desperate.

No one thought they were unnatural in their choice to live chastely.

Del, I'm almost tempted to agree with you. I noted this in the recent publicized hunts against bachelors like Cliff Richard and Edward Heath. With no real evidence, their rights and privacy were compromised with innuendo that their confirmed bachelor status was somehow suspicious. It's perfectly fine to be single, and no explanation is required.

jruegg wrote:I (astonishingly) agree with Jocose. But the first choice is not sex, it's lordship. At some point we broken, sinful humans must repent, believe, and give up lordship over ourselves, including our desires.

I think that's one of my biggest spiritual issues and I also believe it to be the church's as well. We often say Jesus is our Lord and savior but we treat him more as our fjord and savior. We want the inflow of living water. We want the blessings. We want to be saved (we know we desperately NEED to be saved!). But we also want to retain lordship over our own lives. It's like we say, "Thanks for that salvation, Jesus. See you next Easter!"

Christ is Lord. That means He's in charge.

I applaud Jocose. I know it can't have been easy (or is easy, or will be easy) to give up lordship of that part of his life. I'm sure he's failed miserably along the way too. But Christ is still Lord.

jruegg wrote:I (astonishingly) agree with Jocose. But the first choice is not sex, it's lordship. At some point we broken, sinful humans must repent, believe, and give up lordship over ourselves, including our desires.

I think that's one of my biggest spiritual issues and I also believe it to be the church's as well. We often say Jesus is our Lord and savior but we treat him more as our fjord and savior. We want the inflow of living water. We want the blessings. We want to be saved (we know we desperately NEED to be saved!). But we also want to retain lordship over our own lives. It's like we say, "Thanks for that salvation, Jesus. See you next Easter!"

Christ is Lord. That means He's in charge.

I applaud Jocose. I know it can't have been easy (or is easy, or will be easy) to give up lordship of that part of his life. I'm sure he's failed miserably along the way too. But Christ is still Lord.

well said, Ruegg

Think "Jesus is my Fjord and Savior" is a google first?

Indeed.

"Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a cob with a forever lucite stem." (Pipverbs 1:1)
"No more signatures that quote other CPS members." - Thunk